Joo Yang-ja

In this Korean name, the family name is Joo.

Joo Yang-ja (Korean: 주양자; Hanja: 朱良子; January 1, 1931 – February 4, 2025) was a South Korean politician and medical doctor. She served as the 25th Minister of Health and Welfare of the Republic of Korea and in the 14th and 15th National Assembly.^[3]

Joo Yang-ja
주양자
Minister of Health and Welfare
In office March 3, 1998 – April 30, 1998
President	Kim Dae-jung
Preceded by	Choi Kwang
Succeeded by	Kim Mo-im [ko]
Member of the National Assembly
In office February 7, 2000 – May 29, 2000
Constituency	Proportional representation
In office May 30, 1992 – March 2, 1996
Constituency	Proportional representation
Personal details
Born	(1931-01-01)January 1, 1931 Daegu, Keishōhoku Province, Korea, Empire of Japan[1]
Died	February 4, 2025(2025-02-04) (aged 94)
Citizenship	South Korea
Political party	United Liberal Democrats
Other political affiliations	New Korea Party (until 1996)
Profession	Doctor[2]
Religion	Buddhism[1]

Joo was elected to the National Assembly in the 1992 election as a list candidate for the Democratic Liberal Party. She lost her seat on March 2, 1996, when she left the party to join the United Liberal Democrats, and was replaced by Jin Gyeong-tak [ko].^[4][5] Joo was ranked 12th on the party list for the 1996 election and initially did not win a seat. She was appointed Minister of Health and Welfare in 1998.^[6] On February 7, 2000, she would return to the National Assembly, succeeding Chi Dae-sup [ko] as a proportional member when he left the United Liberal Democrats.^[7] Joo died on February 4, 2025, at the age of 94.^[8]